Rapids Post 6-0 Victory over Air Force

he Colorado Rapids opened the scoring flood gates by tallying six second half goals to earn a 6-0 win over the Air Force Academy in a preseason exhibition on the team’s training field at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park on Wednesday afternoon.

The first half saw the Rapids hold most of the possession, but with limited scoring opportunities.

Air Force’s Alek Uransel drew two yellow cards following hard fouls on Ross LaBauex in the 22nd and 28th minutes resulting in his ejection from the match. Due to the friendly nature of the game, the Falcons were able to replace Uransel with a substitute.

The Rapids had a chance to take a halftime lead in the 42nd minute after earning a penalty kick, but Pat Noonan’s shot to the lower left corner was saved, leaving the teams locked at 0-0 going into the break.

In the second half, Colorado showed their dominance early and often, beginning with Noonan’s first goal in the 47th minute when he tapped in a rebound off a saved shot from six yards out.

The Rapids built a 3-0 advantage with goals in the 62nd and 68th minutes, as Rob Valentino headed in an Andy Lorei corner kick and Noonan finished a Wells Thompson pass inside the box, respectively.

Newly acquired goalkeeper Ian Joyce preserved the clean sheet with a diving save in the 70th minute from an Air Force header off a corner.

The Rapids then racked up three more goals in a five minute span, with Noonan earning a hat trick for the match, and Lorei and Oscar Murillo scoring their first goals of the preseason in the 71st and 75th minutes respectively. Murillo from a Ciaran O’Brien corner kick and Lorei with a tough angled shot from the left side from about 10 yards out.